Freud And Developing Strong Self-esteem

Sigmund Freud believed that developing a strong self-esteem (or ego) requires that the base and superego must be in harmony. In other words, your desires and social responsibilities should coincide.

Sigmund Freud believed that if you have a strong self-esteem (ego), you will be able to understand your own needs and also intuitively understand the limits set by society. If you have a strong self-esteem, you can move freely through life. You will have no problem recognizing internal repression and you will be happy in your daily life.

Let’s start by saying that many of the fundamental psychoanalytic ideas are no longer valid. Concepts like penile envy or female hysteria are obsolete. However, psychoanalysis has managed to retain its relevance by introducing new ideas and adapting to modern times.

Prankster of Vienna

Freud’s ideas were new and risky during his lifetime. One of his nicknames was “Vienna Prankster” because people thought his techniques were too crazy. But the fire he lit years ago is still burning. However, it has lost some of its power. Studies such as this conducted at Linköping University in Sweden show that the main problem with psychoanalysis today is how long treatment lasts.

This type of treatment requires four sessions a week for as many months or years as the patient needs. Today, it is difficult for people to organize such an amount of time. Modern life is demanding and we are used to momentary gratification. Adaptation to a long-term treatment plan is not always possible. Therefore, modern therapists rely on much faster treatments.

Sigmund Freud would be completely against it. He believed that the central goal of all psychoanalysts should be to develop the patient’s self-esteem (ego).  The psychoanalyst must channel this spiritual power into a healthy individual and heal all the contradictions that come in the way of his freedom and well-being.

To this end, Freud believed that commitment, time, and a patient who wanted to go deep were needed.

Developing strong self-esteem in the midst of limiting forces

One of Freud’s most interesting works is definitely Introduction to Psychoanalysis.  Interestingly, this is actually an unfinished book. When Freud wrote this book, he was in exile because of World War II. He was already quite old and, due to his ill health, was unable to complete this revealing book, which was published after his death.

The book was a collection of what he had written before. In it he went even deeper into his most important theories. Some examples of these are mental health devices, dream interpretation, and psychoanalytic technique. The most important part of this book discusses and defines the “base, ego, and superego”.

For the first time, the famous Viennese psychoanalyst focused on the idea of ​​strong self-esteem and the human need to strengthen this self-esteem within spiritual architecture. Freud also said that developing healthy self-esteem is complex. Freud believed that is why many of us are not happy, happy, or free.

Reasons why you have not developed a strong self-esteem

There are two opposing forces that exist simultaneously within you. On the other hand, there is a celebration base to which basic needs and basic needs relate. On the other hand, you have a superego that reflects the internalization of society’s strict rules. Superego limits your desires, desires and dreams.

• According to Freud, the base always needs something and always feels dissatisfied. The seduction base is anxious, restless and does not understand the past or the future.
• However, the Superego is a complex entity that makes us refrain from doing things. It restricts freedom, controls our behavior, and breaks our dreams. Superego is a social and cultural entity that forms us and curbs the basis of celebration.
• The ego, or self-esteem, is at the center of all this. You cannot always meet your needs in the midst of obligations, dreams and aspirations that fit into the mold of society. That may be part of the reason why we often don’t want to develop a strong self-esteem. Also, sometimes we feel fragmented and lost because of it.

How can I develop a strong, healthy, and happy self-esteem?

In his Introduction to Psychoanalysis, Freud explained that there are a number of factors that determine whether you can develop a strong self-esteem. He suggested the following reasons:

• Excessive dependence on parents : Freud believed that children take longer and longer to grow mature and independent. They always develop reasoning and initiative only later in life.
• Childhood and youth full of rules, punishment and strict upbringing.
• Growth without close and tender role models that facilitate optimal development.

As you can see, Freud believed that childhood is a very important time in a person’s life. However, the real valuable part of his posthumous work is the advice he gives to develop a strong self-esteem:

Developing a strong self-esteem

• To gain a strong self-esteem (ego), don’t fight your base or superego.
• The aim is to maintain a balance between these forces. You should try to achieve a harmony between your needs and responsibilities.
• In order for these two energies to be in harmony, you need to focus your attention on everything you have suppressed or hidden within you. As you work with this, hidden needs, motivation, and anxiety come to the fore. You should also address childhood fears, traumas, and memories that you have not yet addressed.
• Freud also talks about how important it is to work with your independence. When all your different dimensions are visible to the whole world, you have to deal with them in a mature way.
• It is possible that you believe you have never received what you deserve. This unresolved anxiety will follow you anywhere. One way to develop a strong self-esteem is to free yourself from this need. After all, necessity leads to submission and illness.

In summary, many of Freud’s ideas are still relevant and invite us to reflect on some important concepts. Strengthening your self-esteem is something you need to work with every day for the rest of your life. So just keep working with yourself. It’s worth it!